Departmental Computers

David Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many of his Department's  (a) computers and  (b) laptops have been stolen in 2007; and what the value of those items was.

Douglas Alexander: 13 laptops have been stolen from the Department for International Development in 2007, all of which had encrypted hard disks. The estimated value of these laptops was £9,087. No other computers have been stolen from DFID in 2007.

Developing Countries: HIV Infection

Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support his Department has provided for  (a) care and  (b) palliative care for those with HIV/AIDS in developing countries under the G8 commitment to universal access to treatment.

Shahid Malik: The UK is the second largest bilateral donor on HIV and AIDS and has pledged to spend £1.5 billion on AIDS programmes over the three years up to 2008. While our statistical system tracks broad areas of expenditure such as HIV and AIDS it does not codify specific subsets such as care and palliative care.
	However, care and palliative care are an essential part of a comprehensive response to AIDS. Where DFID is providing significant support to country programmes on HIV and AIDS, this includes components to increase capacity of health systems to provide treatment and care, or to develop home and community-based projects. Examples include DFID's support to develop integrated, community-based, HIV and AIDS home-based care in Zambia, and the Kenyan government's HIV and AIDS prevention and care project which includes a package of community-based care and support.
	In addition to our bilateral support to developing countries we also provide support for care and palliative care through our multilateral partners. Fore example we recently made an unprecedented long-term commitment to the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria of up to £1 billion by 2015. The Global Fund is providing significant funds for care and palliative care including support for the roll-out of palliative care in South Africa and Uganda.

Iraq: Reconstruction

William Hague: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what research has been conducted by his Department on UK-funded reconstruction initiatives in Iraq.

Shahid Malik: The Department for International Development monitors all of its programmes rigorously, including its reconstruction projects in Iraq. In addition to ongoing evaluation and monitoring, we conduct annual reviews—known as "output to purpose reports". At the end of the project's life, we conduct project completion reports. These reviews are designed to evaluate the extent to which the projects have achieved their purpose, and they include recommendations for future changes in our programmes. Every programme is given a score from one to four to indicate how successful it has been in meeting its objectives.
	In addition to our bilateral programmes, we have channelled a significant share of DFID reconstruction funds for Iraq through multilateral agencies such as the United Nations and the World Bank. These agencies have their own internal evaluation processes. For example, DFID has channelled £70 million to the international reconstruction fund facility for Iraq (IRFFI), a multi-donor trust fund which supports projects of the World Bank and UN agencies. We have argued for increased attention to be paid to monitoring and evaluation of IRFFI-funded programmes on Iraq and as a result an independent review of its work is now under way. This is being co-ordinated by the United nations Office Project Services (UNOPS).